I have type B blood. Following the blood type diet, I eat cheese on a routine basis. I've noticed that "string" cheese is listed as an avoid for all blood types while mozzarella is okay for all. Checking food labels, I have discovered some "string" cheeses that contain only low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella. Others contain things like vinegar, or processed "cheese food". While avoiding the latter, I snack on the low-moisture, part-skim mozzarella "string" cheese. I have no problem digesting this cheese although I do experience plenty of digestive problems when I eat chicken, tomatoes, peanuts, corn, shellfish, or just about any other "avoid" food. Is the avoid judgement on string cheese based on testing the versions with ingredients like "cheese food", or other questionable additives? ~ Patrick

The string cheeses tested way back in Eat Right days were observed to contain the additives you mentioned, along with any number of other chemicals in some brands. It was rare to hear of a variety of string cheese which didn't have these problems, hence the original avoid status.

If the brand you like has only mozzarella on the ingredients list, it's perfectly fine for you ~~ even better if it's a medicine-free product from ranged cows. enjoy!

Hello! I'm type O and get migraines - which seem to be brought on at least in part by not eating enough protein or not eating soon enough after I begin to get hungry (carbo cravings are a major challenge!). Twice in the past couple of days, I've gotten very shaky and felt hungry again about an hour after eating what I would consider to be a very solid O meal -- strip steak and either broccoli or a large romaine and spinach salad. Any idea what might be causing this, and what I can do about it? Also do you have suggestions for a 'rescue' protein snack that might be easy to have handy at work? Would walnuts and dried fruit work to stop the shakes? I like the new format with three people to ask questions of : ) Thanks, Jane

I am an orthomolecular nutritionist based in Barcelona (Spain). I have introduced the concept of "blood type and diet" with my patients and the results are wonderful. However, I have observed that couple of my patients are suffering from arthritic pains and severe lower back pain after 5-6 weeks (more or less) following the diet, although, on the other hand, they feel fantastic overall. Could this be "cleansing" symptom? Something like a "healing crisis"? These are symptoms they have suffered for years in the past, but now they say the pain is really bad. MANY THANKS FOR YOUR HELP -- Cala

I'm wondering if people tend to feel worse before they feel better when switching to the blood type diet as "toxins" are leaving the body? I've been eating for my type - O non-secretor - for the past 3 weeks and I've noticed an improvement with some things but I've also found that I've been quite tired and lethargic. Any ideas you have on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Amber

Unexpected hunger, cravings, migraines, and renewed discomfort near old injuries can be symptoms of detoxification of the digestive tract, as well as signs that your metabolism is "changing gears" in response to the altered proportions of proteins and carbohydrates. The blood type diets have been reported to produce these effects, and while they are indicators of good work going on, the symptoms canbe pretty uncomfortable. They fade as the body settles into its new balance.

Os with cravings for the old starches & sugars can benefit from supplementing with l-glutamine or tyrosine. 5HTP is good for this purpose as well, and it can help keep migraines at bay. Ginger, quercetin & cayenne pepper alleviate the inflammation associated with the onset of migraine headaches. "Deflect-O" is most noticeably useful during the first few months on the diet, as it provides some beneficial protein sugars and has a settling effect on the bowels. Sugar and most grains act as serotonin stimulants. Take them away, and cravings can result. Bladderwrack, kelp and other seaweeds can provide the glucose your brain may be missing when you switch away from a high-carb diet.

It's a good idea to avoid stimulants such as coffee, black tea, various over-the-counter pep pills -- the adrenaline release can mimic hypoglycemia, and drive you to eat when you're not really hungry. Additionally, most of us are not accustomed to digesting our food efficiently, and may not feel as "full" on this diet as on the old diet, or for not as long. This resolves itself in time, as you shift from short-term sugar metabolism to longer-term energy from proteins and vegetables.

For a carry-along snack, you could make jerky at home from red meat or turkey --just have your butcher cut it into thin strips, marinate in a salted/spiced liquid, and dry it in a low oven, dehydrator, or in the sun. Or, pack a bag of walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and dried cranberries or other low-sugar fruit, sprinkled with sea salt. Maybe I'm weird! but I've found wakame and other seaweeds make a surprisingly tasty snack all by themselves. See what your HFS has on offer. :-)

It's not uncommon to see a flare-up of an old injury or sensitivity in the first few weeks or months. Lectin-damaged joint and other interstitial tissues can begin to rejuvenate. There may be a loosening and softening of hardened connective tissues, and as the patient feels better, the unaccustomed physical movement now possible can bring up new (or old) discomforts. Slow and steady win the day in this regard! A good EFA mix is heaven for the joints. Very mild stretching in the affected area, along with a basic strengthening regime for the central muscles of the body, can speed healing in the body and lightening of the spirit.

Gentle, regular exercise; sauna, steambath or whirlpool; and plenty of pure water will hasten the sometimes uncomfortable adjustment period, and bring on the sought-after strength and vitality a bit more quickly. "Gentle" is the watchword ~~ slow, easy steps rather than abrupt leaps, especially if your symptoms are severe. A kind and forgiving attitude toward yourself as you move gradually toward your goals can ward off discouragement, and incremental movement is a safer -- not to mention more pleasant -- way to proceed on this life-changing journey.

Readers write about being type O with high cholesterol, triglycerides and elevated blood pressure.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, usually resolves itself with the blood type diet, with an emphasis on getting adequate dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, and potassium -- and staying away from refined grain and sugar.

In type Os, high cholesterol and triglycerides arise in conjunction with WHEAT rather than MEAT. Why? Because the wheat lectin loves to attach to insulin receptors on fat cells, and hates to let go. Kind of like the wrong key jammed into a lock. Blood levels of insulin, and subsequently cholesterol and triglycerides, elevate in response. The lectins in corn, potatoes, and many beans and legumes are to be avoided for the same reason.

85-90% of our blood cholesterol is manufactured in the liver. Cholesterol is essential for normal neurochemical function, and yes: too-low cholesterol carries its own set of health risks. So, a healthy liver is the first cause of well-balanced cholesterol. If liver function has been weakened by any one or more of the many prescription drugs which carry this side-effect, or by alcohol abuse, poor diet -- even a habitually angry outlook on life, believe it or not! -- cholesterol synthesis can rise or fall out of the normal range.

Usually, a minimal weight loss -- only 10 to 15 pounds -- will produce a sharp drop in triglycerides. Cholesterol levels, too, respond to weight loss; a 10% reduction is common when obesity is resolved. Type Os have a slightly higher normal lipid range than other types, and while Elaine's readings aren't quite in the "worry zone," I think that separating grains from proteins in meals, or alternatively following a no-grain plan, may turn this trend around within a month. A supplement that has proven highly and speedily effective in lowering cholesterol is red yeast rice. 1200 mg per day (1/2 teaspoon) is the dosage.

It is often a difficult mental adjustment for type Os who may have been told for years to eliminate meat and eat more grain to get healthy, now to learn that the opposite is true. If that's what your diet has been like, Rhonda, your results fit the profile. :-( Don't worry! The good news is that hypertension often responds well to dietary intervention, and these particular changes are toward simpler food and an active lifestyle.

Meat, and the appropriate essential fatty acids (EFAs) from oils, nuts and wild fish should replace that old way of eating. If you can drop ALL the grain for the time being and fill up on beneficial vegetables, you will speed your progress. Starting an exercise regime under the supervision of your doctor will provide vast benefits to you. By the way, using an herbal extract of Stone Root (Collinsonia canadensis) can help increase the strength and flexibility of your veins and arteries -- a concern for people with hypertension. Spend a week on the diet, and compare your blood pressure with today's reading. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.